High Stakes Seduction - Book 5 (9 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

ANGELA

"Excuse me," said an elderly man in a bow-tie. "Are you the artist?" At Maria's nod, he continued. "May I inquire about this painting over here?"

She wheeled away, chattering brightly with the man and his wife. I turned to Tony, tears still in my eyes.

"I had no idea. What can I say? This is such a surprise." I felt my eyes well up again. I knew they were tears of happiness, but I didn't want to make a scene. I carefully wiped one away before it could fall onto my cheek.
Damn this man!
Would he ever change? First, he gets me riled up and he pushes me away, telling me to stay out of things. Then, he turns around and does something totally selfless like setting up a showing of my sister's paintings.

"I'm glad I could help. But it's not entirely my doing. The gallery owner is the one who made the final decision. And, of course, Maria had to have the talent in the first place."

"But this is just so wonderful. I don't know how I can thank you."

He had that sultry, smoky look in his eyes again. I felt a sudden warmth in my loins, a yearning ache that spread down my thighs.
Damn, I'd better be careful.

"Maria has real talent. And if you'll forgive me for saying so, I think she's been holed up too long. Artists can be their own worst critics. Sometimes they need a little nudge to get them out of their comfortable nest. This showing means she can't ever go back to being small—an amateur. As of today, she's had her first gallery showing—and she can't hide away any longer. Not if she wants to be a professional artist."

Wasn't this what Maria had been saying to me? That she didn’t want to be treated as some fragile object? And this man, who only met her a short time ago, "got it" immediately. I shook my head. There was still so much I didn't understand about Antonio. I'd never met anyone as complex, as infuriating, or as endearing.

I glanced over to where Maria was talking with the gentleman and his wife. Her cheeks were flushed as she pointed at the different parts of the landscape, gesturing with her hands like an excited teenager. I hadn't seen her this happy since before the accident. A small group had gathered around them, listening intently and nodding.

Suddenly it was hard to breathe. My chest was tight, as though my heart was too full, overwhelmed with gratitude. I turned to Antonio, who was watching Maria with a small smile.

"Thank you," I managed to whisper. He turned to look at me, that smoldering gaze that always lit my own fire. He reached for my hand, squeezing it gently. Then he pulled me away from the group, away from the room, and into the hallway.

He looked over his shoulder briefly, then back at me, leading me down the hall into a small coat closet. Shutting the door behind us, he pulled me close.

"Cara, there's a better way to thank me, don't you think?" Then his lips melted with mine, and my knees went weak.

"Tony," I whispered when he pulled away, grateful his arms were holding me up. I had forgotten the full impact his kisses had on me, but that all came rushing back in an explosion of heat and desire the moment his tongue slipped into my mouth. Now I stood there, panting slightly, trying to catch my breath and re-order my senses.

I reached up to stroke his cheek, and he tilted his head, resting it for a moment on my hand. The undeniable desire in his eyes made me catch my breath again. I had missed this. Missed it terribly. This raw aching threatened to tear me apart. I pulled him closer, leaning into his manhood, pressing myself against the throbbing I could feel building even as I shamelessly rubbed myself against him.

He took my face in his hands, staring into my eyes and leaning in to kiss me. I opened my lips to accept the sweetness of his mouth, when I heard a jangling behind me.

Suddenly the door swung open. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to… to interrupt," stammered a bald-headed man with glasses. "My wife. She sent me. Um, she um, needs her shawl. Please excuse me." He reached to a hook on the wall, giving us an embarrassed nod as he stepped back out of the tiny room.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

ANGELA

I pulled away from Antonio when the door opened. Now I stood there, looking at his sultry face, feeling like a kid who was just caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
Someone else's cookie jar
, I reminded myself, seeing Naomi's face in my mind.

I put my hand to my mouth, feeling the slightly swollen heat from the kiss my lips had just received.

"Tony, I… "

"What is it, Cara?" he asked softly.

"Will you excuse me? I need the ladies room." I reached for the doorknob, twisting it quickly in my haste to get out of the suddenly too small, too intimate space.

Oh my god, what was I thinking? Nothing has changed, has it? He’s still the one in control. The one with power; the one with the magnetic charm. I cursed myself as I headed toward the ladies room. Will I ever learn?

Stepping through the door, I suddenly remembered my previous experience here. How out of place I'd been. The women sitting on the couches, gossiping among themselves. I stepped to the counter, turning on the faucet. Maybe splashing some water on my face would bring me back to my senses.

"Hello ma’am," came a voice from the corner. "Is there something I can assist you with?"

I looked over and immediately recognized the kindly attendant who had been so understanding the first time I had been in the room.

"No, I'm okay," I smiled. "But thank you."

"Haven't I seen you here before?" she asked, eying me up and down.

"Yes, I was here for the exhibit of fashion costumes a few months back."

"I remember. You were concerned about that cliquish group of madams in the other room. Girl, I don't know what you done, but you don't hardly look like the same lady. Been some transforming I'd say." She smiled at me.

I stared at myself in the mirror. Had I changed that much? I certainly didn't feel like the same person, but it was hard to know if that showed on the outside. Apparently it did. At least to some people. I dabbed at my face, drying it without smudging my make-up too much. Then I took a deep breath.

"Thank you," I told the woman. "Tonight I'm here for my sister. She's one of the artists."

"Really? Which one?"

"The landscapes. In the Poplar room."

"Oh, the big, wide open views. Kinda makes me want to travel." She grinned at me. " 'Cept I'm a homebody. I like knowing where I'm from and where I belong. Makes me feel safe."

That would be nice,
I thought, looking back at my reflection in the mirror. After the accident, I used to think I belonged with Maria. But so many things had changed—for me and for her. I certainly knew where I was from, but I had no idea where I was going.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

ANGELA

As I made my way back through the foyer, I looked around, remembering what it was like the last time I was there. It didn't look much different, the guests were distinguished looking without being stuffy. They seemed enchanted within the comfortable circle of the gallery, gathered into small groups of two and three at a time, chatting and laughing.

I stuck my head into a couple of the wings on my way back to the Poplar room, hoping to get a glimpse of the other artists. The Willow room was filled with small sculptures, most of them appeared to be brass, unusual shapes that looked like little sea creatures and mermaids.

The Oak room had a large abstract painting, with splashes of garish primary colors. Not my particular taste, but the people in the room seemed to be enjoying themselves and there was a happy kind of buzz around them.

As I stepped back into Maria's room, I spotted her talking with a tall, distinguished looking man who seemed vaguely familiar. I realized he was the alderman I had seen in the photo with Walker and Naomi. Cartoli?
Nice
, I thought, Maria was gaining stature in the community tonight.

I waved at her when she looked up, noticing me on the other side of the room. She smiled. The alderman turned toward me as he noticed her glance, and something about his face made me stop in my tracks. I had this sudden visual memory—I had seen this face before. But where? He had a distinctive, splotchy-looking scar on his left cheekbone. Where had I seen his face before? I kept remembering the image, but couldn't quite place
where
I'd seen it. After a moment, he moved away to shake hands with a man in a nearby group.

I watched as others spoke with Maria and realized she'd probably been too busy to even think about getting something to eat. I couldn't remember her eating anything before the show, there hadn't been enough time.

Well, that was something I was happy to do for her. I grabbed a plate and began to make my way through the buffet line. I knew what Maria liked, we had pretty much the same taste. So I grazed along the table, picking out a few choice pieces.

Midway through the line I stopped, my thoughts interrupted by the tinkling laughter and unmistakable fingernails-on-chalkboard voice that I would recognize anywhere.
How the hell did she get here?

I looked toward the end of the table, and there she stood. Naomi, my nemesis. This time she had her hand tucked through the arm of a man I recognized as Brad Stephens, our own D.A.. In shocked silence, I watched the two of them. It was undeniable that she was beautiful, but there was a cold-edged heartlessness about her that should've been obvious to anyone who looked beyond the surface.

Okay, maybe I was just being catty, but there was no denying the woman pushed me over the edge. So much so, that nausea overcame me as I suddenly felt ill. I wanted to leave, to go anywhere where I wouldn't have to deal with this woman. This was supposed to be a celebration for my sister, but it's amazing how quickly the wrong person can turn any celebration around.

I moved away from the table, nearly tripping over Maria. She'd apparently come up behind me while I was so focused on Naomi and I hadn't noticed her there.

"Sis!" she said, spying the plate of hors d'oeuvres in my hand. "That looks so good, and I'm famished! Can I steal a bite?"

"Oh, yes. Certainly! Here," I thrust the plate toward her, still flustered by the realization that Naomi was in the same room. "In fact, I was getting these for you."

"Mmm, these are yummy, you know what I like!" She smiled at me, popping one of the little tuna puffs into her mouth. "Do you think we could get out of this crowd for a few minutes, so I could enjoy my snack?"

"Sure," I said. "Here, let me carry that for you."

I spotted a little alcove over by the palm trees. Someone had set up a couple of chairs that were out of the way. As we stepped past the harpist, Maria dropped a five dollar bill into her tip jar, smiling at the young woman. "Your music is lovely, thank you so much for being here." The woman nodded and smiled, never losing a beat as she strummed her beautiful song on the strings.

"This is so crazy, Sis" said Maria to me. "I've already sold two paintings."

"That's fabulous!"

"Yeah, but here's the kicker, I also got a commission to do a painting for someone."

"Well that's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's not a landscape. It's a picture of the guy's dog." She giggled. "I don't think I've ever painted a dog."

"What? Is he going to bring it by? How will you get it to sit still long enough to paint it?"

"Oh no," she laughed again. "His dog is gone. But he has photographs, so this will be like a memorial for him. Something special he can hang in his den."

I'll admit I was relieved. The last thing I wanted was someone's dog traipsing through our house, and I'm not so sure I would be any happier if Maria went to someone else's house to paint. Especially someone I didn't know. But, I wasn't going to tell
her
that. She'd just think I was being overprotective again. And I guess I was.

"That really is a beautiful dress," Maria said to me. "I don't remember seeing it before, did you get it on the cruise?"

"Yes." I looked down at the gown, remembering when Antonio had selected it for me. "Tony bought it for me. And he picked out the shoes too."

"The man certainly has a flair for what's attractive. I can't believe how much he's changed our lives. And for the better."

Well, mostly
, I thought. I knew Maria appreciated him, and I did too. But still, there were certain things…

Chapter Twenty-Nine

MARIA

I wondered why every time I brought up Antonio's name lately, Angela seemed to withdraw. I didn't want to upset her, but the man had been more than generous with us. I knew she was working off a debt, but seriously, who else would have given her the kind of leeway he had? Or invited her on a cruise… or bought her beautiful dresses… or set up this gallery showing for me?

"Ange, what's bothering you? You're not mad that we tricked you?" I hated seeing my little sis worried or upset. Especially tonight when everything was going so well for me.